Classic Rock News

Metallica has partnered with the work wear company Carhartt to help fund skilled trade education for women.

Carhartt has awarded Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation and its Metallica Scholars program with the For the Love of Labor grant in celebration of International Women’s Day, which takes place Friday, March 8. With the grant, the first $250,000 in sales of women’s apparel in Carhartt retail stores and online on Friday will be donated to Metallica Scholars.

“Together, we’re providing the next generation of hardworking women with the training and tools needed to take their future into their own hands,” reads an All Within My Hands press release.

For more info, visit AllWithinMyHands.org.

The Metallica Scholars program first launched in 2019 and funds scholarships for students pursuing a traditional trade or other applied learning program.

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Black Sabbath‘s “Paranoid” will now be occupying your brain on Spotify’s Billions Club playlist.

The metal classic has officially hit the 1 billion streams mark on the platform. It’s the first song from either Sabbath or Ozzy Osbourne‘s solo discography to achieve that feat.

“Paranoid” is the title track off Black Sabbath’s 1970 sophomore album, which also spawned “Iron Man” and “War Pigs.” Its video has over 250 million views on YouTube.

Other recent new additions to the Spotify Billions Club include Green Day‘s “Basket Case,” Evanescence‘s “Bring Me to Life” and Guns N’ Roses‘ “Paradise City.”

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There was a reunion of The Beatles in Paris on Monday, March 4.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were spotted sitting in the front row at Paris Fashion Week, taking in the fall/winter womenswear show being put on by designer Stella McCartney, Paul’s daughter.

McCartney’s wife, Nancy Shevell, and Ringo’s wife, Barbara Bach, were also in attendance, as was Stella’s sister Mary McCartney and celebrity guests like Paris Jackson, M.I.A., Anna Wintour, Naomie Harris, Ashley Graham and Jameela Jamil.

The Paris reunion comes just four months after The Beatles released what they say will be their final song, “Now and Then,” using vocals John Lennon recorded on a demo in the late ’70s, along with guitar the late George Harrison recorded in the mid-’90s, and new recordings from McCartney and Starr. The song debuted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #1 in the U.K.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke has some strong opinions about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, specifically the fact that he’s not in it.

Medlocke was Skynyrd’s drummer from 1971-72, rejoined the band as guitarist in 1996 and has been with them ever since. Despite the long tenure, there have been many who have questioned whether he should be considered an original member of the band, including the HOF, as he was not inducted with Skynryd in 2006.

“The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame stated that I have not had any link or that I wasn’t significant to the career, and it didn’t want me being inducted with them,” Medlocke shared in an interview with Iridium Rock and Metal Reviews, describing the decision as “kind of a blow to me.”

“Here’s what I say to them,” he added, giving the HOF the middle finger.

Medlocke got particularly peeved when he saw who has been getting inducted but noted, “It is what it is. My Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is the fans out there and the music that I play and the band that I play in, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and my own stuff.”

Next up for Medlocke and Lynyrd Skynyrd, they’re due to kick off a new leg of the Sharp Dressed Simple Man tour with ZZ Top on Friday, March 8, in Savannah, Georgia. A complete list of dates can be found at lynyrdskynyrd.com.

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Elton John has been pretty busy since he wrapped up his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour: He’s got two musicals opening — one in London and one on Broadway — and he’s got new music on the way.

“He’s been working away,” his husband and manager David Furnish tells Variety. “I don’t think you’re going to have to wait too long [for new music]. I can’t say when but he’s making real progress. It was important for him when he came off the road to have a little bit of a breather and a break. But he’s always said he’s retiring from touring, but he’s not retiring from working.”

It’s not clear which new music Furnish is talking about. During the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year, Elton told the crowd that he and his musical partner Bernie Taupin had just finished an album. Then, in December, The Who‘s Pete Townshend told Clashmusic magazine that Elton had “gone over to LA to make an album with Brandi Carlile” and that they’d finished it in two weeks.

Furnish also says that Elton will likely perform at his annual Oscar Viewing Party on March 10 with the special guest that he’s booked: the band Gabriels. “It’s hard to keep [Elton] off the stage,” says Furnish.

One thing that Elton may not be looking forward to this year is more surgery. Earlier this year, Furnish said, he had one of his knees replaced, and he’ll have the second one done this spring.

“Both his knees were bent so badly, but his left knee is now perfectly straight,” Furnish explains. “His right knee is still bent so he’s going to have another surgery in April.”

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The late Robbie Robertson was honored with the Icon Award at the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, which took place Saturday, March 3, at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. 

Robertson, who passed away in August, was celebrated for his contribution to both music and film. 

According to Billboard, Margo Price was joined by Robert Randolph and Jairus Mozee for a tribute to  Robertson, performing “Evangeline,” while Rocco DeLuca and Johnny Sheppard performed “They Don’t Live Long” from Martin Scorsese‘s Killers of the Flower Moon.

Robertson is nominated for an Oscar this year for his score for Killers of the Flower Moon. The score is one of several projects he and Scorsese worked on together, including movies like Gangs of New York, Raging Bull, Casino and The Color of Money as well as the concert documentary The Last Waltz, featuring Robbie’s group The Band.

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Paul McCartney’s photography exhibit is hitting another U.S. city this year.

It was just announced that Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm will debut at the Portland Art Museum on September 14 and run until January 19.

Eyes of the Storm features more than 250 photographs taken by McCartney between November 1963 and February 1964, giving fans insight into his point of view as The Beatles were becoming international superstars. 

The exhibit first debuted in June at London’s National Portrait Gallery and is currently at Virginia’s Chrysler Museum of Art, where it is set to run until April 7. It will then move to New York’s Brooklyn Museum from May 3- August 18. 

Tickets for the Portland Art Museum run are on sale now.

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Dave Grohl has joined the lineup for the 2024 Love Rocks NYC benefit concert.

The show takes place Thursday, March 7, at New York City’s Beacon Theatre. Previously announced performers include The Black Keys, Tom Morello, Hozier, ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder, The Struts‘ Luke Spiller, Nile Rodgers, Joss Stone, Lucius, Allison Russell and Trombone Shorty.

Comedians Conan O’Brien, Tracy Morgan and Jim Gaffigan will host, and Martin Short will be making an appearance.

The annual Love Rocks NYC concert supports God’s Love We Deliver, which “prepare[s] and deliver[s] nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves.”

If you can’t make this year’s show, you can watch it live via the platform Veeps. The stream begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. For more info, visit Veeps.com.

In other Grohl happenings, the Foo Fighters frontman just had an eventful weekend in Las Vegas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Grohl was in attendance at the Netflix Slam tennis match at Vegas’ Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday, March 3. Additionally, fan-shot footage caught Grohl dancing and singing along to U2 during the final night of their residency at the high-tech Sphere venue on Saturday, March 2.

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On This Day, March 4, 1967…

The Rolling Stones landed their fourth #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Ruby Tuesday.”

The tune, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, was released as the B side to the single with “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” although in the U.K., where it went to #3, the two tracks were released as a double A-sided single.

“Ruby Tuesday,” which was later included on the U.S. version of their album Between the Buttons, went on to be one of the band’s classic tunes and is often played at their live shows.

The track was certified Gold by the RIAA.

In total, The Rolling Stones have had eight #1 hits in the U.S., their last being “Miss You” in August 1978.

The band is set to hit the road this year, with their Hackney Diamonds tour kicking off April 28 in Houston, Texas. A complete list of dates can be found at rollingstones.com.

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The Rolling Stones are giving fans a chance to win a VIP experience to their upcoming Hackney Diamonds tour.

The trek is sponsored by AARP, and the Stones are teaming up with the organization for the over-50 crowd on a new sweepstakes in which winners will be flown to Las Vegas and set up with premium tickets to the band’s May 11 concert at Allegiant Stadium.

Three grand prize winners will be chosen, with the prize also including a two-night hotel accommodation and a backstage meet and greet with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers.

The sweepstakes is only open to U.S. residents 18 or older, but all folks have to do is register for a chance to win. More info can be found at aarp.org/rockout.

The Rolling Stones will kick off their Hackney Diamonds tour on April 28 in Houston, Texas, with dates confirmed through July 17 in Santa Clara, California. A complete schedule can be found at rollingstones.com.

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